Radditz moved through the crowd, shaking hands and receiving hugs from people he'd never seen before. He spotted Kakkarot leaning against a wall talking to Cherise and decided he'd make up for lost time annoying his little brother. "Kakkarot, mind if I cut in?" Before Kakkarot could respond, Radditz had grabbed ahold of Cherise and waltzed her into a mob of dancing people.
Vegeta watched from the corner, satisfied in his sulking stupor. Jovial laughter rang around him, music bouncing around the room, and couples dancing as far as his eyes could see. Unfortunately he could only keep his eye on one of them and he didn't like it. Caught now and then in the tide of twirling bodies, Radditz and Cherise could be seen in flashes, laughing and enjoying themselves. Vegeta watched them a moment longer before turning away in irritation._ Damn him. Who cares? So he's having a good time. He should be it's his "back from the dead" party isn't it?_ Grumbling, Vegeta stood and pushed his way through the crowd, most of them separating in respect but others not noticing until he had already shoved them from his path. Vegeta stomped up a small spiral case that led to a veranda to look down on the sea of people. He could see them again, twirling about. _For someone so large he's very graceful on his feet…_ Vegeta caught himself smirking and forced himself to watch others. _What's his name…Kakkarot doesn't look very happy._ It was true, Kakkarot had backed himself into a corner and was scowling so hard it looked like his eyebrows were trying to invade his eyes. _I would think he'd be happy to have his brother home alive… _ Vegeta thought for a moment before walking back the way he had come and picking his way to Radditz' little brother.
"You don't look like you're enjoying yourself." Kakkarot jumped at the gravely voice beside him and shook his head.
"I suppose I'm not." Kakkarot turned away slightly, pressing himself farther into the corner.
Vegeta cocked an eyebrow, "And why not? You should be overjoyed that your brother is home alive."
Kakkarot nodded slowly and turned to face the Ouji. "It's just that….I dunno…" Vegeta looked at him queerly for a moment before motioning to the balcony circling the room.
"Follow me."
"But, where are we going?" Kakkarot looked around slightly confused.
"If we go to the balcony you can look at everyone and brood quietly." Kakkarot looked skeptical and Vegeta sighed. "Or you could lean over the side and drool on people, will that make you happy?"
Kakkarot grinned broadly and enthusiastically followed Vegeta to the top of the stairwell. They stood in silence for awhile, Kakkarot staring intently at Radditz and Cherise while Vegeta did his best to ignore them. Kakkarot broke the silence with an exasperated sigh and began to shout over the noise from below. "I don't know why he has to do that."
Vegeta tilted his head, "What?"
Kakkarot pointed down into the crowd at his brother. "That! He always does that!"
Vegeta shook his head and leaned closer, "No you fool, what did you say?"
Kakkarot grinned sheepishly and began to vent his anger to Vegeta retelling stories from the past up through to Radditz waltzing off with Cherise. As he told his tale, Vegeta began to smirk at the patronizing that Radditz had given to his younger brother for all their years. The more Kakkarot spoke of him, the more Vegeta felt the knot in his stomach tighten as he watched Radditz dance across the floor. Vegeta fell out of focus, losing himself in his own thoughts but looked at Kakkarot and nodded just to appease the younger saiyajin.
*~*~*~*~*
Radditz led Cherise out of the ring, satisfied that he'd annoyed his brother long enough but couldn't seem to find him. Radditz looked carefully around the sea of faces and began to worry as he saw everyone but Kakkarot amongst the crowd. Cherise looked around as well and tapped Radditz on the shoulder as she spotted two figures along the balcony and pointed. Radditz squinted slightly and looked carefully at them. Beaming he recognized Kakkarot and he didn't appear too mad, in fact he looked like he was smiling.
Cherise held a hand to her eyes and frowned, "Who's that up there with him?"
Radditz looked again, flames flickered in his stomach and he glared up at the two. "Vegeta." The two were talking! And Vegeta was actually smiling and nodding. Radditz felt the hairs at the back of his neck prickle as he saw Kakkarot start to laugh. Radditz pushed through the crowd, Cherise in tow, as he headed for the nearest staircase.
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a/n: I know this one is shorter than most of the others, but i'm trying to build up a good couple of chapters *wink wink* if you know what i mean.~Nnif -.-
Vegeta watched from the corner, satisfied in his sulking stupor. Jovial laughter rang around him, music bouncing around the room, and couples dancing as far as his eyes could see. Unfortunately he could only keep his eye on one of them and he didn't like it. Caught now and then in the tide of twirling bodies, Radditz and Cherise could be seen in flashes, laughing and enjoying themselves. Vegeta watched them a moment longer before turning away in irritation._ Damn him. Who cares? So he's having a good time. He should be it's his "back from the dead" party isn't it?_ Grumbling, Vegeta stood and pushed his way through the crowd, most of them separating in respect but others not noticing until he had already shoved them from his path. Vegeta stomped up a small spiral case that led to a veranda to look down on the sea of people. He could see them again, twirling about. _For someone so large he's very graceful on his feet…_ Vegeta caught himself smirking and forced himself to watch others. _What's his name…Kakkarot doesn't look very happy._ It was true, Kakkarot had backed himself into a corner and was scowling so hard it looked like his eyebrows were trying to invade his eyes. _I would think he'd be happy to have his brother home alive… _ Vegeta thought for a moment before walking back the way he had come and picking his way to Radditz' little brother.
"You don't look like you're enjoying yourself." Kakkarot jumped at the gravely voice beside him and shook his head.
"I suppose I'm not." Kakkarot turned away slightly, pressing himself farther into the corner.
Vegeta cocked an eyebrow, "And why not? You should be overjoyed that your brother is home alive."
Kakkarot nodded slowly and turned to face the Ouji. "It's just that….I dunno…" Vegeta looked at him queerly for a moment before motioning to the balcony circling the room.
"Follow me."
"But, where are we going?" Kakkarot looked around slightly confused.
"If we go to the balcony you can look at everyone and brood quietly." Kakkarot looked skeptical and Vegeta sighed. "Or you could lean over the side and drool on people, will that make you happy?"
Kakkarot grinned broadly and enthusiastically followed Vegeta to the top of the stairwell. They stood in silence for awhile, Kakkarot staring intently at Radditz and Cherise while Vegeta did his best to ignore them. Kakkarot broke the silence with an exasperated sigh and began to shout over the noise from below. "I don't know why he has to do that."
Vegeta tilted his head, "What?"
Kakkarot pointed down into the crowd at his brother. "That! He always does that!"
Vegeta shook his head and leaned closer, "No you fool, what did you say?"
Kakkarot grinned sheepishly and began to vent his anger to Vegeta retelling stories from the past up through to Radditz waltzing off with Cherise. As he told his tale, Vegeta began to smirk at the patronizing that Radditz had given to his younger brother for all their years. The more Kakkarot spoke of him, the more Vegeta felt the knot in his stomach tighten as he watched Radditz dance across the floor. Vegeta fell out of focus, losing himself in his own thoughts but looked at Kakkarot and nodded just to appease the younger saiyajin.
*~*~*~*~*
Radditz led Cherise out of the ring, satisfied that he'd annoyed his brother long enough but couldn't seem to find him. Radditz looked carefully around the sea of faces and began to worry as he saw everyone but Kakkarot amongst the crowd. Cherise looked around as well and tapped Radditz on the shoulder as she spotted two figures along the balcony and pointed. Radditz squinted slightly and looked carefully at them. Beaming he recognized Kakkarot and he didn't appear too mad, in fact he looked like he was smiling.
Cherise held a hand to her eyes and frowned, "Who's that up there with him?"
Radditz looked again, flames flickered in his stomach and he glared up at the two. "Vegeta." The two were talking! And Vegeta was actually smiling and nodding. Radditz felt the hairs at the back of his neck prickle as he saw Kakkarot start to laugh. Radditz pushed through the crowd, Cherise in tow, as he headed for the nearest staircase.
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a/n: I know this one is shorter than most of the others, but i'm trying to build up a good couple of chapters *wink wink* if you know what i mean.~Nnif -.-